I don't know how authentic this recipe is, as it came from a non-middle Eastern source. I'd been wanting to try it as we really only get falafel from Zankou Chicken, and we rarely go.
There was definitely a learning curve when making these.
Serves 6
1 c plain yogurt
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
salt
2 15 oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 c plus 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. cumin
1 large egg
1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 c olive oil
6 pita breads, split
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small head romaine lettuce
Combine yogurt and garlic in a bowl; season with salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve
In a food processor, combine chickpeas, 1/2 c flour, cumin, egg, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Process till almost smooth. Add onion and pulse just to combing. Place 2 Tbsp. flour on a plate. Form chickpea mixture into 12 1/2 thick patties. Dredge each patty with flour.
Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add patties and cook until golden, turning once, about 8 minutes total...work in batches if needed. Slide patties into pita, add tomato and lettuce. Top with reserved yogurt sauce and serve.
I didn't want to fry the falafel, so I baked them instead. Oil a baking sheet well with olive oil...you want a thin layer covering the baking sheet...and place patties on the pan. I don't think cooking spray will work with this. I did not dredge the patties in flour before baking them. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, then flip patties and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
I did not make the yogurt garlic sauce...I don't like raw garlic, and with the red onion in the falafel I figured it would be overkill. I made a Persian yogurt sauce called "mast-o-khiar" instead...literally, yogurt with cucumber:
1 qt. plain yogurt
1 English cucumber, finely chopped
dried mint, at least a tablespoon
salt, to taste
Combine first three ingredients, mix. Add salt to taste, and if you like a mintier flavor, add more mint. The cucumbers should be as chopped as fine as you can get them...you really want to bite a cucumber in every bite, but you don't want a big chunk overpowering everything.
I used a middle Eastern yogurt for this, Albali brand. Greek yogurt might be OK, but I was instructed NOT to use the regular plain yogurt we're used to straight out of the carton. If that is what you use, drain it first to get the whey out. Smart & Final Extra in Glendale (Glenoaks and Justin? I think) carries the Albali brand yogurt (as well as a variety of other middle Eastern foods). Johns Market probably carries it as well. So you don't have to go to a middle Eastern market for it. Persian cucumbers are preferred, but English cukes will do (ironically, the same Smart & Final store stopped carrying Persian cucumbers a few months ago due to...poor sales...but Sprouts carries them in the bag...you'll need about 2 Persian cucumbers per quart of yogurt.) The big cucumbers we're used to aren't very good in this recipe. And leave the peel on. Also, I found a "yogurt dip" seasoning mix in their middle Eastern aisle that I used instead of plain dried mint. The brand is "Sadaf". Generally this dip is served with flatbread and eaten "plain".
So back to the falafel. I don't use my food processor all that often, so this may be common sense for some of you. For the first batch I added the chickpeas last to the food processor...fail. The mix wouldn't come together and seemed dry, so I added water to loosen things up. Then it was too loose, so I added flour back to dry it out. As a result it tastes very flour-y and not very falafel-y. Don't worry, it's our batch. The 2nd and 3rd times I put the chickpeas in first, that was the key. Even still, with all batches the mix was just really tough to shape into patties with my hands, so I ended up using an ice cream scoop instead to make them, and then flattened them out later. Also, I still ended up with large chunks of red onion, so you might want to chop them a bit finer than coarse before adding it to the food processor (unless you like chunks of red onion). I did find I had to let the machine run for a while before everything came together, a couple minutes on low speed is what I did.
Tahini is also a good sauce to use with the falafel. It keeps forever in the fridge, so it's worth it to buy the jar and use it for this or for making hummus.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Tarragon Chicken Salad
I culled this recipe from "Semi Homemade with Sandra Lee"...and then I later saw Ina Garten make this same recipe. As usual I tweak it a bit when I make it.
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c plain yogurt
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. tarragon, finely chopped
14 oz. cooked chicken, cubed
1 c seedless grapes, halved
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/4 c chopped nuts
salad mix, bread, etc.
Combine first 4 ingredients to make dressing. Combine 1/4 c of the dressing with the salad mix. Combine remaining ingredients and then combine with 1/2 of remaining salad dressing. Serve chicken mixture atop salad greens and add more dressing as desired.
I generally dump all the ingredients in a bowl except for the salad and bread, and then mix everything together and put it in a pita pocket with the salad greens. I couldn't find fresh tarragon so I used dried. I also tend to eyeball all the ingredients. I know I used more poppy seeds and tarragon than what the recipe calls for. I tend to boil up my own chicken for this, Sandra Lee started with an already cooked rotisserie chicken...I don't remember what Ina did.
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c plain yogurt
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. tarragon, finely chopped
14 oz. cooked chicken, cubed
1 c seedless grapes, halved
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/4 c chopped nuts
salad mix, bread, etc.
Combine first 4 ingredients to make dressing. Combine 1/4 c of the dressing with the salad mix. Combine remaining ingredients and then combine with 1/2 of remaining salad dressing. Serve chicken mixture atop salad greens and add more dressing as desired.
I generally dump all the ingredients in a bowl except for the salad and bread, and then mix everything together and put it in a pita pocket with the salad greens. I couldn't find fresh tarragon so I used dried. I also tend to eyeball all the ingredients. I know I used more poppy seeds and tarragon than what the recipe calls for. I tend to boil up my own chicken for this, Sandra Lee started with an already cooked rotisserie chicken...I don't remember what Ina did.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Pizza Mini Meat Loaf Cups
This recipe is from the book "Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers". Aside from this being a freezer friendly recipe (I know I didn't really need a book to figure out that you can freeze meatloaf, but I know this particular recipe has been tested and proven to taste the same after freezing) there is also no chopping involved. Yay!
Makes 12 muffins
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c pizza sauce
1/4 c seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 c shredded cheese (6 oz)
Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, combine first four ingredients; mix well. Add ground beef and mix well. Divide mixture among 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes until meat is no longer pink. Top with cheese immediately and serve.
To freeze...Do not sprinkle with cheese on top; cool muffins. Freeze in freezer bags. To use, thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Sprinkle cheese on top of muffin. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes till heated through.
I used ground turkey, and I also threw in a small amount of leftover shredded carrot we had, in part to use it up and in part to help keep the moisture content because I used turkey and not beef. I did not measure the Italian seasoning and I'm sure I used more than 1/2 tsp. You can also bake the cheese inside the meatloaf muffin, but I used an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups and didn't want to mess with re-shaping the muffin.
I make my own pizza sauce...I heated the same amount of tomato sauce and threw in Italian seasoning (which I once again did not measure).
I made mashed potatoes to go with the meat muffins. I used Yukon golds, unpeeled, and mashed them with garlic powder, chicken buillon granules, pepper, and sour cream. I admit I don't measure anything when I make them, but I will guestimate I use about 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder, a couple tablespoons of the granules, a few grinds of the pepper mill, and about 1/2 c of sour cream.
Makes 12 muffins
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c pizza sauce
1/4 c seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 c shredded cheese (6 oz)
Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, combine first four ingredients; mix well. Add ground beef and mix well. Divide mixture among 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes until meat is no longer pink. Top with cheese immediately and serve.
To freeze...Do not sprinkle with cheese on top; cool muffins. Freeze in freezer bags. To use, thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Sprinkle cheese on top of muffin. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes till heated through.
I used ground turkey, and I also threw in a small amount of leftover shredded carrot we had, in part to use it up and in part to help keep the moisture content because I used turkey and not beef. I did not measure the Italian seasoning and I'm sure I used more than 1/2 tsp. You can also bake the cheese inside the meatloaf muffin, but I used an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups and didn't want to mess with re-shaping the muffin.
I make my own pizza sauce...I heated the same amount of tomato sauce and threw in Italian seasoning (which I once again did not measure).
I made mashed potatoes to go with the meat muffins. I used Yukon golds, unpeeled, and mashed them with garlic powder, chicken buillon granules, pepper, and sour cream. I admit I don't measure anything when I make them, but I will guestimate I use about 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder, a couple tablespoons of the granules, a few grinds of the pepper mill, and about 1/2 c of sour cream.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Risotto!
Risotto is the ultimate comfort food...creamy goodness without the guilt! There is no cream in the sauce and only a little cheese is added at the end to finish off the dish. Also, this "May gray" is pretty ideal for a big bowl of creamy goodness. I'd shied away from it for a long time because I'd heard that you have to continuously stir the rice and not take your eyes off the pan for 1 second or else it will be ruined. While you cannot walk away from it like you can a casserole in the oven, it's not quite that high-maintenance.
What I like about risotto is that you can make it a true one-dish meal, with or without meat, and pretty much use whatever strikes your fancy (except maybe tomatoes?). And it doesn't take a ton of time. The original recipe, from delish.com, used mushrooms and chicken, so I just subsituted leeks and bacon, in equal quantities. But throw in whatever you feel like...squash risotto is also excellent. So guess what you'll be getting when squash season rolls around again?
Serves 4
2/3 lb. bacon, cut-up
1/2 leeks, thinly sliced
5 1/2 c chicken broth (more or less)
pepper, to taste
1 1/2 c arborio rice
1/2 c dry white wine
1/2 c Parmesan cheese (or any Italian hard cheese, shredded)
Cook bacon in a large skillet till just browned. If your bacon gave off a ton of fat, drain some of the drippings but leave a good couple-three tablespoons. Throw in the leeks, and stir around till just soft. Add some pepper. Remove bacon and leeks. Add the rice and stir about 2 minutes till opaque. Add the white wine and stir till absorbed, scraping up the bits of bacon and leek on the bottom of the pan (yum!!!). This should take about 5 minutes. Add the stock to the rice about 1/2 a cup at a time. Stir frequently after each addition till all the stock is absorbed. You want to keep the flame at a level so the broth/rice mix is at a simmer. I stir when I initially add the stock, and then give the spoon a whirl around the skillet every couple minutes or so. You don't want the rice to stick to the pan! Keep adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after every addition, till all the stock is absorbed, the rice is tender, and the risotto is thick and creamy. You may not use all of the stock or you may need more...in which case just add water. After the risotto is tender, return the bacon and leeks to the pan, stir, and heat through with the cheese. You can also add some frozen peas at this point and heat those through as well.
You can also use veggie stock, though I haven't tried this, depends on what you're making and who you're cooking it for. Also, I'm no wine snob, and used sauvignon blanc. If this is not a dry white wine...oops! I liked how it cooked up with chicken and mushroom risotto, so I'm sticking with it. I have not tried not using the wine, but you do need something to deglaze the pan initially. Since the alcohol burns off, if you use something nonalcoholic in place of the wine I'd only use half the amount called for in the recipe. Also, between the bacon, broth and cheese at the end you don't need to add any extra salt, but if you use low-sodium broth you might feel it needs a little extra. When I make risotto with mushrooms I do add a pinch of salt after the mushrooms have been browned.
This is the basic risotto "formula" for making it as a main dish. If you use an ingredient that does not give off fat like bacon does, you'll need to add some to the pan. The orignal recipe called for cooking the mushrooms and chicken in 2 tbsp. butter, adding another tablespoon of oil after you remove them, and then sauteeing 1/2 cup chopped onions in the oil. Since I'm using leeks I omitted the onions and the extra oil. Even if you don't care for onions I recommend you use some onions (or anything onion-like such as leeks) as they really give the risotto good flavor. You can't really taste them as they cook for so long they turn sweet.
What I like about risotto is that you can make it a true one-dish meal, with or without meat, and pretty much use whatever strikes your fancy (except maybe tomatoes?). And it doesn't take a ton of time. The original recipe, from delish.com, used mushrooms and chicken, so I just subsituted leeks and bacon, in equal quantities. But throw in whatever you feel like...squash risotto is also excellent. So guess what you'll be getting when squash season rolls around again?
Serves 4
2/3 lb. bacon, cut-up
1/2 leeks, thinly sliced
5 1/2 c chicken broth (more or less)
pepper, to taste
1 1/2 c arborio rice
1/2 c dry white wine
1/2 c Parmesan cheese (or any Italian hard cheese, shredded)
Cook bacon in a large skillet till just browned. If your bacon gave off a ton of fat, drain some of the drippings but leave a good couple-three tablespoons. Throw in the leeks, and stir around till just soft. Add some pepper. Remove bacon and leeks. Add the rice and stir about 2 minutes till opaque. Add the white wine and stir till absorbed, scraping up the bits of bacon and leek on the bottom of the pan (yum!!!). This should take about 5 minutes. Add the stock to the rice about 1/2 a cup at a time. Stir frequently after each addition till all the stock is absorbed. You want to keep the flame at a level so the broth/rice mix is at a simmer. I stir when I initially add the stock, and then give the spoon a whirl around the skillet every couple minutes or so. You don't want the rice to stick to the pan! Keep adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after every addition, till all the stock is absorbed, the rice is tender, and the risotto is thick and creamy. You may not use all of the stock or you may need more...in which case just add water. After the risotto is tender, return the bacon and leeks to the pan, stir, and heat through with the cheese. You can also add some frozen peas at this point and heat those through as well.
You can also use veggie stock, though I haven't tried this, depends on what you're making and who you're cooking it for. Also, I'm no wine snob, and used sauvignon blanc. If this is not a dry white wine...oops! I liked how it cooked up with chicken and mushroom risotto, so I'm sticking with it. I have not tried not using the wine, but you do need something to deglaze the pan initially. Since the alcohol burns off, if you use something nonalcoholic in place of the wine I'd only use half the amount called for in the recipe. Also, between the bacon, broth and cheese at the end you don't need to add any extra salt, but if you use low-sodium broth you might feel it needs a little extra. When I make risotto with mushrooms I do add a pinch of salt after the mushrooms have been browned.
This is the basic risotto "formula" for making it as a main dish. If you use an ingredient that does not give off fat like bacon does, you'll need to add some to the pan. The orignal recipe called for cooking the mushrooms and chicken in 2 tbsp. butter, adding another tablespoon of oil after you remove them, and then sauteeing 1/2 cup chopped onions in the oil. Since I'm using leeks I omitted the onions and the extra oil. Even if you don't care for onions I recommend you use some onions (or anything onion-like such as leeks) as they really give the risotto good flavor. You can't really taste them as they cook for so long they turn sweet.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Pizzeria Casserole
I found this recipe years ago from some Smart & Final publication. Maybe even on the back of one of their products. The recipe is written for 16 servings, which makes it easy for me to make for swapping purposes because I don't have to do any math.
2/3 c chopped black olives
Parm-Romano cheese blend, to taste
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c sliced mushrooms
2 lbs. Italian sausage (I used a mix of hot and sweet)
2 c shredded pizza cheese blend
28 oz. tomato strips with basil
1/2 tsp pepper
28 oz. pizza sauce
2 tsp. dried oregano
7 oz. sliced pepperoni
5 c ditalini pasta
1 lge onion, chopped
2 tsp. dried basil
Preheat the oven to 350. Cook pasta; drain. Meanwhile, cook sausage and onion over medium heat till meat is no longer pink and is broken up. Drain. In large bowl combine pizza sauce and tomato strips. Stir in sausage mixture, pasta, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, basil, oregano, salt & pepper. Transfer to greased baking dish. Sprinkle with pizza cheese blend, covering entire dish. Bake 45 minutes till cheese is golden brown. Remove and top with Romano cheese blend.
So...of course I had a few substitutes...and omissions. I did not give you cheese blend for after baking. I did not add any salt to the dish. I used regular canned tomatoes with "spice" instead of strips. I made my own pizza sauce (tomato sauce cooked up with Italian seasoning). I might have forgot to put in pepperoni? Oops. I used rotini pasta instead of ditalini, and because rotini is much larger than ditalini, I used about 4 cups of pasta. Also, I used WAY more than 2 cups of shredded cheese blend to top the dishes (and did not use pizza cheese blend). I think I used 2 cups of cheese per Pyrex pan instead of 2 cups total for all 16 servings...the cheese was not covering the pans. Also, since the dish is meant to be baked up in one big pan, and I divided it up into 3 pans, cooking time takes less than 45 minutes...20-30 is a better guestimate. Everything is cooked, you're just heating everything through and melting cheese. Oh and "large" bowl is really an undertatement. You need a HUGE bowl. I whipped out my giant Tupperware bowl and it was nearly full when I added all the ingredients.
2/3 c chopped black olives
Parm-Romano cheese blend, to taste
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c sliced mushrooms
2 lbs. Italian sausage (I used a mix of hot and sweet)
2 c shredded pizza cheese blend
28 oz. tomato strips with basil
1/2 tsp pepper
28 oz. pizza sauce
2 tsp. dried oregano
7 oz. sliced pepperoni
5 c ditalini pasta
1 lge onion, chopped
2 tsp. dried basil
Preheat the oven to 350. Cook pasta; drain. Meanwhile, cook sausage and onion over medium heat till meat is no longer pink and is broken up. Drain. In large bowl combine pizza sauce and tomato strips. Stir in sausage mixture, pasta, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, basil, oregano, salt & pepper. Transfer to greased baking dish. Sprinkle with pizza cheese blend, covering entire dish. Bake 45 minutes till cheese is golden brown. Remove and top with Romano cheese blend.
So...of course I had a few substitutes...and omissions. I did not give you cheese blend for after baking. I did not add any salt to the dish. I used regular canned tomatoes with "spice" instead of strips. I made my own pizza sauce (tomato sauce cooked up with Italian seasoning). I might have forgot to put in pepperoni? Oops. I used rotini pasta instead of ditalini, and because rotini is much larger than ditalini, I used about 4 cups of pasta. Also, I used WAY more than 2 cups of shredded cheese blend to top the dishes (and did not use pizza cheese blend). I think I used 2 cups of cheese per Pyrex pan instead of 2 cups total for all 16 servings...the cheese was not covering the pans. Also, since the dish is meant to be baked up in one big pan, and I divided it up into 3 pans, cooking time takes less than 45 minutes...20-30 is a better guestimate. Everything is cooked, you're just heating everything through and melting cheese. Oh and "large" bowl is really an undertatement. You need a HUGE bowl. I whipped out my giant Tupperware bowl and it was nearly full when I added all the ingredients.
Chicken Enchiladas
This is Kiersten's recipe, although I have made a few changes to morph it into the dish I cooked up. I kind of consider her recipe more of a method than an exact science.
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c sour cream
1 small can diced green chiles
2 c grated cheese
3 c cooked cubed chicken
6-8 flour tortillas, torn in small pieces
Mix all ingredients together. Spread in greased baking dish and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.
The dish freezes well. Freeze uncooked, then thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as above.
I did not use soup and chiles, but used about 10 oz. of red enchilada sauce...about the same amount as a can of soup. (I use Las Palmas brand). I also added 1 can of large olives, chopped, and a few green onions, chopped as well as I could get them chopped. I used 6 large flour tortillas. I did not measure the cheese cup for cup but probably used slightly more than 2 cups.
I have also made the dish with green enchilada sauce, and have used corn tortillas instead of flour to get a different texture. Since corn tortillas are smaller I think 8-10 is about what I've used. I can also see using a different meat or even a similar amount of cooked veggies (or a mix of the 2) but I haven't done that just yet.
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c sour cream
1 small can diced green chiles
2 c grated cheese
3 c cooked cubed chicken
6-8 flour tortillas, torn in small pieces
Mix all ingredients together. Spread in greased baking dish and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.
The dish freezes well. Freeze uncooked, then thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as above.
I did not use soup and chiles, but used about 10 oz. of red enchilada sauce...about the same amount as a can of soup. (I use Las Palmas brand). I also added 1 can of large olives, chopped, and a few green onions, chopped as well as I could get them chopped. I used 6 large flour tortillas. I did not measure the cheese cup for cup but probably used slightly more than 2 cups.
I have also made the dish with green enchilada sauce, and have used corn tortillas instead of flour to get a different texture. Since corn tortillas are smaller I think 8-10 is about what I've used. I can also see using a different meat or even a similar amount of cooked veggies (or a mix of the 2) but I haven't done that just yet.
Taco Casserole
This is what Hannah made this last time, I had to get her recipe it was so yummy. It's from delish.com:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/el-dorado-beef-casserole/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=el%20dorado%20beef%20casserole&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
Instead of using chips in the dish she used corn tortillas. I will probably steal this recipe for future swaps, both with our group and my other swapping group.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/el-dorado-beef-casserole/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=el%20dorado%20beef%20casserole&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
Instead of using chips in the dish she used corn tortillas. I will probably steal this recipe for future swaps, both with our group and my other swapping group.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss
This is a Rachael Ray recipe, from her "30 Minute Meals 2" book. When 30 Minute Meals first aired on Food Network, I was all over it. Loved the concept! However, actually making the meals in 30 minutes was impossible. Even before the kids were born I'd spend up to an hour making a supposed 30 minute meal. Boo. I'm not really a fan anymore, but this recipe seems to be a crowd-pleaser. Don't worry, you won't be slaving away in the kitchen for an hour making this!
Serves 4
1 lb. penne rigate pasta, cooked al dente
2 tbls. olive oil
1 1/4 lbs. chicken tenders cut into 1-inch pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbls butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium shallots, chopped
2 tbls. flour
1/2 c white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1 c chicken broth or stock
3 tbls. capers, drained
1/2 c chopped flat-leaf parsely
chopped/snipped chives, for garnish
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbls olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and brown until lightly golden all over, 5-6 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Reduce skillet heat to medium, add another tbls olive oil and 1 tbls butter. Add the garlic and shallots; saute 3 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid, about 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley . When sauce comes to a bubble, add remaining butter to give sauce a little shine. Put chicken back in the pan and heat through a minute or two. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce. Adjust seasonings as needed, sprinkle with chives to serve.
I am horrible about buying herbs, so the dish is parsley-less...and chive-less for that matter.
I have also baked up the chicken in the oven before making the sauce. Meh. You don't get the yummy chicken flavor in the sauce when you do this, since there's nothing to deglaze in the pan.
I used chicken breast halves as opposed to tenders. You could also cook the breast halves (or tenders) whole. I do recommend using a pasta with lines, however, as the sauce clings to the pasta better.
Rather have the wine in your glass than in your dish? You can use 1/2 c chicken stock instead. However, every time I've used stock instead the sauce didn't thicken up like it did when I use wine.
The capers really add a wonderful flavor to the sauce...you know how sometimes you can fudge your way through a recipe if you don't have 1 of the ingredients? Capers really aren't one of those ingredients you can omit, I think.
Serves 4
1 lb. penne rigate pasta, cooked al dente
2 tbls. olive oil
1 1/4 lbs. chicken tenders cut into 1-inch pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbls butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium shallots, chopped
2 tbls. flour
1/2 c white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1 c chicken broth or stock
3 tbls. capers, drained
1/2 c chopped flat-leaf parsely
chopped/snipped chives, for garnish
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbls olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and brown until lightly golden all over, 5-6 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Reduce skillet heat to medium, add another tbls olive oil and 1 tbls butter. Add the garlic and shallots; saute 3 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid, about 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley . When sauce comes to a bubble, add remaining butter to give sauce a little shine. Put chicken back in the pan and heat through a minute or two. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce. Adjust seasonings as needed, sprinkle with chives to serve.
I am horrible about buying herbs, so the dish is parsley-less...and chive-less for that matter.
I have also baked up the chicken in the oven before making the sauce. Meh. You don't get the yummy chicken flavor in the sauce when you do this, since there's nothing to deglaze in the pan.
I used chicken breast halves as opposed to tenders. You could also cook the breast halves (or tenders) whole. I do recommend using a pasta with lines, however, as the sauce clings to the pasta better.
Rather have the wine in your glass than in your dish? You can use 1/2 c chicken stock instead. However, every time I've used stock instead the sauce didn't thicken up like it did when I use wine.
The capers really add a wonderful flavor to the sauce...you know how sometimes you can fudge your way through a recipe if you don't have 1 of the ingredients? Capers really aren't one of those ingredients you can omit, I think.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
All-American Chili Chowder
The calendar says chili and soup weather is here!!! While the last couple days have been soup and chili weather, we're expected to have warmer weather again by this weekend. Sigh. This is from All You Magazine from a while back. All this time I didn't realize it's supposed to be a chowder.
Serves 12 (yep! It freezes well so I like to make a full batch and freeze the rest for another day.)
2 Tblsp olive oil
3 medium-size onions, diced
2 lbs. lean ground turkey
2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 15 1/2 oz, cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can baked beans
8 oz. tomato sauce
4 c frozen corn, thawed
1/4 c chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
tortilla chips, optional
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions for 10 mins., stirring occasionally, until nicely browned. Crumble in turkey, cook 8-10 mins till turkey cooks through.
Place turkey mixture in a 6 qt. slow coooker. Stir in diced tomatoes, kidney beans, baked beans, tomato sauce, corn, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low. Serve with tortilla chips, if desired.
All this food doesn't fit in my slow cooker. I never paid attention to how big mine is until I made this for the first time. I now know I have a 4 quart slow cooker. If I were to halve the recipe I can throw it in my slow cooker, but for a full batch I cook it on the stovetop for a few hours over low heat, stirring occasionally.
This time I used 2 pretty good size onions instead of the 3 called for. I used 3 pounds of meat, an extra 15 oz. can of kidney beans, and a lot more than 4 cups of corn (I admit I didn't measure them), but kept the amount of the remaining ingedients the same. Also, I threw the salt, pepper, and chile powder in when the meat was browning up instead of later. I also added about a tablespoon of ancho chile powder at the very end, which is a very mild chile.
Serves 12 (yep! It freezes well so I like to make a full batch and freeze the rest for another day.)
2 Tblsp olive oil
3 medium-size onions, diced
2 lbs. lean ground turkey
2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 15 1/2 oz, cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can baked beans
8 oz. tomato sauce
4 c frozen corn, thawed
1/4 c chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
tortilla chips, optional
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions for 10 mins., stirring occasionally, until nicely browned. Crumble in turkey, cook 8-10 mins till turkey cooks through.
Place turkey mixture in a 6 qt. slow coooker. Stir in diced tomatoes, kidney beans, baked beans, tomato sauce, corn, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low. Serve with tortilla chips, if desired.
All this food doesn't fit in my slow cooker. I never paid attention to how big mine is until I made this for the first time. I now know I have a 4 quart slow cooker. If I were to halve the recipe I can throw it in my slow cooker, but for a full batch I cook it on the stovetop for a few hours over low heat, stirring occasionally.
This time I used 2 pretty good size onions instead of the 3 called for. I used 3 pounds of meat, an extra 15 oz. can of kidney beans, and a lot more than 4 cups of corn (I admit I didn't measure them), but kept the amount of the remaining ingedients the same. Also, I threw the salt, pepper, and chile powder in when the meat was browning up instead of later. I also added about a tablespoon of ancho chile powder at the very end, which is a very mild chile.
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